(Minghui.org) Nobel Peace Prize nominee and human rights lawyer, David Matas, spoke about the Chinese regime's “institutionalized killing” of Falun Gong practitioners for their organs, at Australia's prestigious Melbourne University on the evening of July 8, 2015.
David Matas: “We Have to Deal with the Problem Now. Immediately.”
“David Kilgour and I have come to the conclusion, as a result of the work that we have done, that Falun Gong [practitioners] are being killed for their organs.” Matas further stated, “We must also get our message out to the public because the ending of human rights violations depends on people at large reacting to those violations. Crimes against humanity are crimes against all of humanity. Only if humanity as a whole reacts, will we get an end to these violations.”
Matas listed nine criteria which he suggests should be enforced in China:
1. A full disclosure of the sourcing of organ transplants in the past.2. A commitment to bring to justice all perpetrators of past organ transplant abuse, and a commencement of proceedings against them.3. Expulsion from the Chinese Medical Association of transplant professionals who cannot establish, beyond the reason of doubt, that the sourcing of organs has been proper.4. Cooperation with international investigation into present and past sourcing of organs for transplants.5. Publication of present and past death penalty statistics.6. Public access to past and present aggregates for the four Chinese transplant registries which are in existence now for lung, liver, heart and kidney.7. A fully verifiable transparency of the sourcing of organs for transplants.8. Establishment of a system of traceability of sources for transplants, and use of that system.9. Cooperation with an outside verification system for compliance with international standards.
Bernie Finn MP (Right) speaks while Mr. Matas (Left) stands besides him.
Bernie Finn MLC (Member of the Legislative Council): “I Stand with You for Religious Freedom.”
Bernie Finn, member of the Victorian Legislative Council, spoke at the event and said, “Now that we know what's happening in China, we have an obligation to do something about it.”
Finn met with Matas to discuss what measures the Victorian Parliament can take “to right this dreadful wrong that's currently going on China.”
Matas has been encouraging Australia to sign onto a conventional treaty called the Convention of Organ Trafficking. Countries that sign it, “commit themselves to criminalize organ trafficking, transplant tourism, brokerage, advertising and so on,” as per Matas.
Attendee: Genocide of Falun Gong Practitioners Is “A Serious Holocaust”
Many who listened to Matas's speech expressed their concern about the genocide of Falun Gong practitioners, such as Luke Davey who said, “I feel like I've learned a lot tonight. I feel as if I need to do something about it. I do want to share this with other people.”
Luke came along with Pia Gallagher, who said, “It makes me want to learn a bit more about what's happening. It really, really disturbs me and upsets me.”
Mary Ioannov and Joe Lamari both agreed in that Australians should be voicing disapproval of these crimes taking place in China. Moreover, Australia has been moving too slowly in trying to communicate the issue to the rest of the world, and more should have been done during these past years.
Having flown from Sydney to listen to David Matas speak, Andrew Bush exclaimed that the persecution of Falun Gong is “worrying,” and is “a serious holocaust.” He wishes for the success of the many lawsuits that are being raised against former Chinese dictator Jiang Zemin, who is the primary culprit in the persecution of Falun Gong.
Following Matas's recent speaking tour in Australia and New Zealand, reports on the Chinese regime's killing of Falun Gong practitioners for their organs have been making the news in both countries. Caring officials and citizens in both countries have been thanking Mr. Matas for his efforts in making this public and bringing it to their attention.
Matas has spoken at the ANZSIL (Australian New Zealand Society for International Law) Conference in Wellington, New Zealand Parliament, a forum at Wellington University, the South Australian Parliament, a forum at The University of South Australia, the Western Australian Parliament, 15th International Symposium of the World Society of Victimology in Perth, and was keynote speaker at the “Human Rights and Forced Organ Harvesting in China” public event at The University of Melbourne.
